Record Number Of Holiday Travelers Expected At Atlanta Airport

ATLANTA, GA -- It's shaping up to be a record-setting holiday travel season at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Officials expect the most travelers ever to pass through checkpoints on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, breaking a previous, Memorial Day 2018 record of more than 93,000 passengers.

Nationally, the Transportation Security Administration is expecting similar record-breaking numbers this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday travel period with more than 25 million passengers traveling through security screening checkpoints nationwide Nov. 16 through Nov. 26, an increase of 5 percent from 2017. TSA officials are prepared to process the volume of passengers at airport security checkpoints, deploying new technology, an additional 80 passenger screening canine teams and more than 1,200 TSA officers.

The busiest travel days leading up to Thanksgiving will be the Friday and Wednesday before the holiday, with 2.6 million passengers and crew expected on each of those days. On Nov. 25, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, more than 2.7 million travelers are expected to be flying home. On a typical weekday, TSA screens about 2.1 million passengers.

This year travelers may encounter new technologies that improve both security and the traveler experience. More than a dozen of the nation’s largest airports have automated screening lanes, 16 have computed tomography X-ray scanners that enhance threat detection capabilities at checkpoints and Atlanta is using new biometrics technology to verify the identity of passengers.

Additionally, through the TSA Airport Operations Center and in coordination with airport and airline partners, TSA monitors and maintains security operations at checkpoints nationwide. The center tracks daily screening operations, rapidly addresses any issues that arise, and deploys personnel, canine teams and technology where needed.

The best way to ensure a quick trip through the security screening process is to arrive early and be prepared. Passenger preparedness can have a significant impact on wait times at security checkpoints nationwide. Travelers are encouraged to allow time to park their cars or return rental cars, check their bags with their airline, and get their boarding passes, all before heading to the security checkpoint. TSA recommends getting to the terminal at least one hour early for domestic travel and at least two hours for international travel.

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Image Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport